How the LJP Came to Be

Lopez

The first workshop was in February 2002. A year before, Northwest Arkansas educator Al “Papa Rap” Lopez and Katherine Shurlds, Lemke Journalism Project director, arranged a visit by local Latino high school students to the University of Arkansas Lemke Journalism Department where they heard from journalism students who encouraged them to consider journalism as a career.

What to do then?

Shurlds

Fortunately, Gerald Jordan, a journalism faculty member, had years of experience with similar programs in the Northeast. Interested faculty members came together and the LJP was born.

The UA Chancellor’s Office was the primary funding support as the project began in 2002.